TNAG-1037-FCO40-1287-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 24

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Date20 March 1981

REGISTRY

Action Takun

AN

Dr D Wilson

Political Adviser

HONG KONG

!

Dear David

FUTURE OF HONG KONG:

JAPANESE INTERESTS

1. Hara of the Japanese Embassy called on me on 19 March for a

'general briefing' on Hong Kong.

2. Hara volunteered that the call had been inspired by the press coverage of the Governor's recent visit to London. He showed keen interes in the problems which Hong Kong is having over the Nationality Bill but soon turned the questioning to the future of Hong Kong. I gave him the usual line with which he seemed satisfied. He went on to say that Japan shared the British and Chinese interest in seeing confidence maintained in Hong Kong because of their general concern for stability in the Far East. When I asked him if this was official Japanese policy he said that whilst nothing of this nature had been officially stated the Japanese Consul-General in Hong Kong was known to be active in encouraging Japanese investment and in directing suitable noises on confidence towards the Japanese business community. Hara implied that this had official approval. I said that we were bound to welcome such a helpful Japanese posture on confidence.

3.

You may be interested to know that the previous day, I had received a similar visit from the French Embassy which covered much the same ground. Breton however, did not volunteer anything on French interest in maintaining confidence in Hong Kong. Nor could he be drawn on French attitudes towards Anglo-French co-operation over the Guangdong Nuclear project. way above his head.

He said it was all to technical and

Your end,

Milit

P Morrice

1

Hong Kong and General Department

cc:

Chancery Tokyo Chancery Peking R Margolis Esq FED

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